Safety light assembly



April 14, 1959 s. CAMPANELL Rg. 24,631

` .SAFETY LIGHT ASSEMBLY f Original Filed April 24, 1957 FIGI.

f mvmron: SAMUEL CAMPANELI.

' A-rrvs.

z4,6s 11 SAFETY LIGHT ASSEMBLY Samuel Campanell, Brigantine, NJ., assignor to Bowers Battery and Spark Plug Co., Reading,-la., a corpora tion of Pennsylvania l 4 originar No. 2,816,284, dated December 10,1951, serial No. 654,824, April`24, 1957. Application for reissue October 22, 1958, Serial No. 770,880

4 Claims. (C l. 340-321)` Matter enclosed in heavy nraclgets appears in the original patent but forms'no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made' by reissue.

The present invention relates to safety lights, and has particular application to a self-contained unit which is adapted to be mounted on the hatof a hunter to warn other hunters of the presence ofhuman life.

Hunting accidents frequently occur at dusk when it is dicult to recognize human shapes. Sometimes at the end of a dayfof hunting, careless hunters will shoot at anything that moves in order. to avoid returning home empty handed. Therefore, at dusk, when hunters are coming from the woods, their lives are in extreme danger from such careless hunters. The present invention affords a degree of safety by'providing: artcial light which informs the careless hunter that the movement is caused by human activity. f,

With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a light mounted in a selfcontained unit which may be worn by a hunter and which operates to exhibit a ickering illumination.

More specifically, the invention contemplates a light source mounted on a resilient exible support which therefore oscillates or wobbles in response to normal movement occurring upon displacement of the unit.

The invention also provides a light having the above characteristics which is highly economical to manufacture and which may also serve as a novelty attachment for youngsters and aiford them some degree of protection when walking or riding bicycles at night or in dim light.

All of the objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a thumb nail sketch of a safety light unit made in accordance with the present invention mounted on the :ap of a hunter;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the unit showing Lhe construction thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of flig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the operating :omponents of the unit; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, he unit comprises a base member 12 which is provided vith a cylindrical recess as indicated at 13 to receive an `lectrical assembly 14. The member 12 is provided with t plurality, in the present instance three, lugs or ears 15 yt spaced intervals about its circumference. The ears `re provided with fastening elements 16 for securing the nember 12 to the hat. In the illustrated form of the inention, the fastening elements 16 comprise snaps which egister with corresponding snaps mounted in the hat H s shown in Fig. l. The member 12 is threaded as inicated at 18 to engage a translucent dome 19 which enloses the assembly 14 and protects the same against the weather. In the present instance, it is'contemplated that the dome 19v andthe base member.12 be fabricated of a4 suitable plastic material which may be tinted red, frosted,V

or made clear.

V-The electiicalassemblyil4lofiathe present embodiment of the invention comprises an insulating base 22 adapted to be received in the member 12.` Inthe present instance, the base is formed of cardboard orsimilar material. Mounted on the base 22 are two battery clips 23 and 24 which are adapted to receive batteries, as indicated in` broken lines at B and B in Fig s. 2 and 3. The battery clips 23 and 24 are 4formed of conductive materialand are provided at one end with contact buttonsl 25 and 26rrespectively which are insulated from the clips 23 and 24. At the `opposite ends of the clips,A arms .27 and 28 respectively project toward one another into closely,

spacedrelation. A switch arm 2 9 is provided to electrically connectand disconnect the arms 27.and 28 to respectivelyy complete and interrupt thecircuit embodiedV inthe assembly 14. In the present instance, the switch,

arm 29 is mounted for longitudinal movement between the position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive and theposition shown in .broken lines in Fig. 2. As shown, the arm has an arcuate section 31 which is operable to engage the arms 27 and 28 and effectelectrical connection therebetween. -The arm is mounted for longitudinal movement by a pin 32 projecting upwardly from the insulating base 22 and passing through a slot 33 in the arm. A- detent 34 is provided at the inner end of thel arm 29 to Vengage `in an aperture 35 in the base 22 to lock the arm in its innermost position which opens the electrical circuit. The outer extremity ofthe arm 29 is turned down as indicated at 36 to constitute an operation for the switch.

Means is provided to resiliently and flexibly support a lamp on the base 22. To this end, an elongated helical spring element 40 is mounted on the base 22, for example by an element 41. The upper end of the spring 40 mounts a conductive strip 42 which has mounted thereon a conventional socket 43 for receiving a lamp bulb 44. The socket 43 has a conventional contact 45 embodied therein for contacting the center button of the bulb 44.

Means is provided to electrically connect the socket 43 and contact 45 with the contacts 25 and 26 of the battery clips 23 and 24. To this end, a flexible conductor 46 is connected directly from the contact 45 to the contact button 26, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The conductor 46 is suciently ilexible to afford free movement of the socket 43 relative to the clip 24. Electrical connection from the contact button 25 to the socket housing 43 is afforded by a conductor 47 connected between the contact 25 and the clip 41. The spring 40 and the strip 42 are of electrically conductive material so as to afford current flow to energize the lamp bulb 44 when the switch arm 29 is in its full-line position.

Thus, the electrical circuit for the assembly 14 starts at the lamp 44, passes through the contact 45, the conductor 46, the contact button 26, the battery B, the clip arm 28, the switch arm 29, the clip arm 27, the battery B, the contact button 25, the conductor 47, the element 41, the spring 40,l the strip 42, and the housing 43 back to the lamp 44. The batteries B and B constitute the source of voltage for the circuit. The circuit is complete Re'ssued- Apr.v 14, 1959.

apparent; Theresiliency'of the spring is that when the housing 4is moved; asin normal walking,v the lampv is caused to oscillate and present a ickering appearance.

The assembly 14 is mountediin the base member 12 by' meansof posts 51 andj 52"."p'roecting upwardly'from the basev vmember'through apertures 53 on opposite" sidesr of' the insulatingmemb'erZZ; The tops ofvthe posts' *5 1* changes andA moditicationsimay befmad therein-and there;y

to 't within the scope of` the following claims.

I claim:`

' 1`.` A safety lightunit comprising a basememberand'* a" translucentdome; means to secure saidfbase vmember tojan) article of clothing,l meansfo'r `mounting lay 'source of' voltagel inl saidibase member-ya socket for ya'lampbull, a resilient exible supporti-mounting-said` socket within saiddome upon'saidbase memberto thereby aflordioscillation of saidy socketrelativeto said lbasemember; andy electrical connections completing a' circuit tosaidlamp socket and including said voltage source mountingmeansk to afford energization of a lamp mounted'in said socketf bya voltage' source in' *said` mounting means, saidelee# trical: connections' including aA switch means operable v1n one position to close said circuit audin'a second position tosopensaid circuit, said switch means having anop'erator' projecting exterior-ly of'- said lbase member.

2. Inv a` safety lampum't, aibasey adapted to be mountedx on an articleof clothing, a cylindrical helical spring) mounted at'one end on said base and projecting upward# 1y therefrom, said. spring'being of electrically conductive material,` an electrically conductive stripmounted onthe upper end of said spring from', a lamp' socketrigidly mounted in the laterally proand projecting laterally therejecting portion of said strip" and having its cylindrical shell electrically connected thereto, a central contact in said shell electrically insulated. therefrom, and means to apply a voltage potential between said contact and the base of said spring)` andn operable to afford free oscillatory movement.- ofl saidsstrip. and socketupon movementof. said-base, whereby said-socketoscillates when saidarticle of clothing is moved as iu normal Walking.

3. A ldevice according to claim 2 wherein said circuit means includesa switchv element mounted on said base to selectively complete and interruptV the circuit to, said socket.

4. A safety light-unit! comprising a. base member and a translucent dome mounted on said base member to define an enclosure,` means for mounting a source of' voltage` in saidenclosure,`4 av socket for a4 lampv bulb,y a resilient flexible support mounting said socket within. said.v en-y closure upon said base member and afording free oscillationi-of said socket relativeA to said" base member, and

elecN-it'aLJ connectonscompletng. a circuit tos'aid lamp: socket andlin'cludingivsad' voltage source mounting meansy to aord ener,n`zation1v of a lamp mounted iny said socket:

by a vo'ltagef:souree in-,saz'dimounting means, said electricaLi connections.' including a switchA meansy 'in` said` en@ closurefoperabe in'one positionzto close said' circuitfand"I inta-secondr positioni to operrsaid circuit.

References Citedtn thefle of this patent or the original patent STATES PATENTSVV 1,737,398" Ackerman Nov. 26, 19'29' 2,734,125 Morris s A Feb. 7', 1956'A v lFOREIGN. PATENTS "184,302"- Great Britain Aug. 17, 1922"" 

